MBB Welcomes MACU in PRESEASON FINALE

Mid-America Christian

^8/8 Oklahoma

Nov. 12 | 7 p.m. | Norman

Notes

THURSDAY'S GAME BASICS

The No. 8/8 Sooners play their second and final exhibition game when they host Mid-America Christian tonight at 7 p.m. CT at Lloyd Noble Center. OU, which went 24-11 last season (12-6 Big 12; T/2nd place) and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, is starting its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Evangels, now coached by former Sooner men's basketball graduate assistant Josh Gamblin, went 25-11 during the 2014-15 campaign and are 3-1 this season.

Senior Ryan Spangler

ON THE AIR

Thursday's contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM “The Franchise” in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Toby Rowland and Scott Thompson announcing. The game will be televised by Sooner Sports TV (FS Oklahoma, FS Southwest PLUS and Fox College Sports Central) with Bob Carpenter, Kevin Henry and Jessica Coody calling the action.

TICKETS

• Tickets are available starting at $5 at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and online here. Lloyd Noble Center's north and east ticket windows will open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

• OU students will be admitted free with a valid school I.D.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

• Oklahoma takes on Mid-America Christian in its second and final exhibition contest of the season. Thursday will mark the first meeting between the Sooners and Evangels. MACU's campus is located in Oklahoma City, just 12 miles from OU's campus.

• First year Mid-America Christian head coach Josh Gamblin was a graduate assistant for Lon Kruger and the Sooners last season. Additionally, MACU junior guard Trey Slate was a member of the OU MBB team the past three seasons. Slate served one season as a student manager (2012-13) and two seasons as a walk-on (2013-15).

• The Sooners will look to build upon their defensive success of last season. In 2014-15, OU ranked 11th nationally by holding opponents to a collective .386 season field goal mark. It was the lowest OU opponent figure since the 1959-60 season. Oklahoma held 28 of 35 opponents (80 percent) to fewer points than they were averaging at the time of competition.

• OU returns 75 percent of its scoring, 69 percent of its rebounding and 83 percent of its assists from last season's NCAA Sweet 16 squad. Picked to finish second in the Big 12 by league coaches, the Sooners return four starters, including 2015 Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield.

• Oklahoma is ranked No. 8 in the AP and USA Today Coaches top-25 preseason polls. The No. 8 ranking is the highest for the Sooners since the conclusion of the 2008-09 season (finished No. 7).

PREVIEWING MID-AMERICA CHRISTIAN

• Thursday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Sooners and Evangels (NAIA). MACU's campus is located in Oklahoma City, just 12 miles from OU's campus.

• First year Mid-America Christian head coach Josh Gamblin was a graduate assistant for the Sooners and Lon Kruger last season. At MACU, Gamblin replaced longtime coach Willie Holley, who retired after 42 years and 813 career victories.

• MACU junior guard Trey Slate was a member of the OU MBB program the past three seasons. Slate served one season as a student manager (2012-13) and two seasons as a walk-on (2013-15) before joining the Evangels. Slate appeared in 15 contests for the Sooners over the course of those two seasons.

• The Evangels are 3-1 (2-0 home, 1-1 away) on the young season. Through four contests, Dev Reed is their leading scorer with 19.0 points per game and Nick Tate is averaging nearly a double-double with 16.8 points and 9.3 rebounds.

• This season, MACU has defeated Haskell (103-72), Bethany (115-95) and Langston (79-73) and lost to MidAmerica Nazarene (105-89).

WASHBURN REVISITED

• The Sooners recorded a resounding 112-62 victory over the Washburn Ichabods in their exhibition opener at the LNC on Nov. 6.

• Buddy Hield filled up the stat sheet, recording 20 points (6-11 FG, 3-6 3FG), five rebounds, four steals and three assists in just 23 minutes of action.

• In just 26 minutes of play, senior Ryan Spangler posted 13 points (5-8 FG, 2-3 3FG), eight rebounds, five assists and two blocked-shots. Also scoring in double figures for OU was senior Dinjiyl Walker with 15.

• OU received 36 total points from its freshmen. True freshmen Christian James and Rashard Odomes tallied 14 and 12 points, respectively. Redshirt freshmen Jamuni McNeace and Dante Buford registered six and four, respectively.

• The Sooners recorded 47 points off turnovers, compared to just 12 from the Ichabods. OU outrebounded WU by a 52 to 27 clip. Spangler and McNeace led the home team with eight rebounds each.

EXHIBITING SUCCESS

Oklahoma has compiled a 52-2 exhibition record over the last 27 years. The Sooners defeated Washburn last week by a 102-62 final at the LNC in their first exhibition contest of the season. Last year, the Sooners beat Washburn (73-48) and Southwestern Oklahoma State (78-37). The last time OU lost an exhibition game was November 2003 (89-82 to Athletes First).

UP NEXT

• The Sooners will open the 2015-16 season on the road at Memphis on Nov. 17. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT inside FedExForum. The game against the Tigers will be carried nationally by ESPN.

• Oklahoma is 0-6 all-time versus Memphis. The two teams last met on Nov. 15, 2007 in New York City in the 2K Sports Hoops Classic (Tigers won 63-53).

FS Oklahoma, FS Southwest PLUS and Fox College Sports Central

THURSDAY'S GAME BASICS

ON THE AIR

TICKETS

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

PREVIEWING MID-AMERICA CHRISTIAN

WASHBURN REVISITED

EXHIBITING SUCCESS

UP NEXT

Players Mentioned

Buddy Hield

Christian James

Jamuni McNeace

Rashard Odomes

Trey Slate

Ryan Spangler

Dinjiyl Walker

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics